Rob Marshall's lush film adaptation of the Arthur Golden bestseller Memoirs of a Geisha has been banned in China, reportedly because of government fears that it could fan the flames of anti-Japanese sentiment.

The film, which stars three of the Chinese-speaking world's biggest female actors as Japanese courtesans and entertainers, has already caused outrage because many Chinese regard geishas as prostitutes and memories of the horrific sexual abuse suffered by thousands of Chinese women at the hands of Japanese troops during the second world war are still fresh.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's decision to ban the film came only a week before its scheduled Chinese premiere on February 9 - the government body cited the film as "too sensitive" and overturned a November decision to approve the film for screening.

Nevertheless, film fans in Beijing and Shanghai would face few problems in getting their hands on the film in spite of the official ban: pirated DVDs of the film are widely available on the streets of the major conurbations for as little as $1. And many Chinese websites are now offering free downloads of the movie with Chinese subtitles.